Examination of the diaphragm in obstructive sleep apnea using ultrasound imaging.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the ultrasound (US) features of the diaphragm and to determine if diaphragmatic US may be a useful screening tool for patients with possible OSA.

Methods: Patients complaining of snoring were prospectively enrolled for overnight polygraphy using the ApneaLink Air device. Thickness and motion of the diaphragm during tidal and deep inspiration were measured.

Lumbar spine abnormalities in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Previous studies suggested cervical spondylosis as a risk factor for development of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). We aimed to assess lumbar disc degeneration in patients with OSA and correlate the findings with symptoms and disease severity. Twenty-seven patients with OSA and 29 non-OSA controls underwent sleep studies and lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the 24-item Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) questionnaires.

[Fatal outcome of bilateral pulmonary embolism combined with ascending varicophlebitis of the lower limb: case report].

The authors review the history and risk factors of thrombophlebitis of the lower limb, and describe the main points of surgical and conservative treatment of varicophlebitis. They present the case of a 71-year-old woman who had ascending varicophlebitis and bilateral pulmonary embolism. The authors draw attention to important points: patients must be followed after phlebitis of the lower limb, and their thrombotic factors must be examined to prevent the new thromboembolic events.

Assessing birth experience in fathers as an important aspect of clinical obstetrics: how applicable is Salmon's Item List for men?

Objective: validated questionnaire assessment of fathers' experiences during childbirth is lacking in routine clinical practice. Salmon's Item List is a short, validated method used for the assessment of birth experience in mothers in both English- and German-speaking communities. With little to no validated data available for fathers, this pilot study aimed to assess the applicability of the German version of Salmon's Item List, including a multidimensional birth experience concept, in fathers.

Prevalence of paternal perinatal depressiveness and its link to partnership satisfaction and birth concerns.

Depressive disorders have shown an increasing prevalence over the past decades. Growing evidence suggests that pregnancy and childbirth trigger depressive symptoms not only in women but likewise in men. This study estimates the prevalence of paternal perinatal depressiveness in a German community sample and explores its link to partnership satisfaction as well as birth-related concerns and concerns about the future.